Fly High – Acts part 25
Opening Illustration: “Not Ashamed” from Sermon Spice.com Vol. 2 – When we are called to witness to others about Jesus, we often shrink away from even saying His name. Has this ever happened to you?
Thesis: Paul models for us the importance of telling our story. Some elements to incorporate into our story are admitting our wrongs, finding forgiveness in Jesus, and how this experience has changed our lives and made us authentic genuine Christians. We also learn that not everyone will believe our story!
Scripture Text: Acts 26:1-32 - The Message Version
“I COULDN’T JUST WALK AWAY”
1Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: “Go ahead—tell us about yourself.”
Paul took the stand and told his story. 2“I can’t think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I’d rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, 3knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels.
4“From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. 5Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up—and if they were willing to stick their necks out they’d tell you in person—knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion. 6It’s because I believed it and took it seriously, 7committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors—the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries—it’s because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I’m being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! 8For the life of me, I can’t see why it’s a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead.
9“I admit that I didn’t always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. 10Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers—I had no idea they were God’s people!—into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. 11I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.
12“One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, 13right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! 14We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?’
15“I said, ‘Who are you, Master?’
“The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down like an animal. 16But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I’ve handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you.
17“‘I’m sending you off 18to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.’
19“What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. 20I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life—right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.
21“It’s because of this ‘whole world’ dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. 22But God has stood by me, just as he promised, and I’m standing here saying what I’ve been saying to anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I’m saying is completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen: 23One, the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, he would be the first rays of God’s daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and God-fearing.”
24That was too much for Festus. He interrupted with a shout: “Paul, you’re crazy! You’ve read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!”
25But Paul stood his ground. “With all respect, Festus, Your Honor, I’m not crazy. I’m both accurate and sane in what I’m saying. 26The King knows what I’m talking about. I’m sure that nothing of what I’ve said sounds crazy to him. He’s known all about it for a long time. You must realize that this wasn’t done behind the scenes. 27You believe the prophets, don’t you, King Agrippa? Don’t answer that—I know you believe.”
28But Agrippa did answer: “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!”
29Paul, still in chains, said, “That’s what I’m praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me—except, of course, for this prison jewelry!”
30The king and the governor, along with Bernice and their advisors, got up 31and went into the next room to talk over what they had heard. They quickly agreed on Paul’s innocence, saying, “There’s nothing in this man deserving prison, let alone death.”
32Agrippa told Festus, “He could be set free right now if he hadn’t requested the hearing before Caesar.”
Introduction:
Paul told his story: His main thought was, “I could not walk away from the vision and experience with Jesus!” “It changed my life!” “It was real and not an illusion!” When the King Agrippa said to Paul “Go ahead, tell us about yourself!” Paul went into action and with sincerity, passion, and love for Jesus he told his story: Paul incorporated these following elements into his conversion story:
1. He admitted how he had lead a deceived life and how he was wrong in persecuting and being a part of killing Christians. He thought Jesus was dead but he discovered that he was alive and the true Messiah.
2. Jesus appeared to Paul to inform him that he was dead wrong in his current religious beliefs and in his self-centered religion. Paul discovered from Jesus that he and the other religious leaders in Israel were deceived and in opposition to the God they actually claimed to serve.
3. Paul told his story with such sincere and emotion that the king listened intently and even commented on how convincing Paul was about Christianity’s message.
4. Festus on the other hand actually thought Paul had gone insane and had lost touch with reality.
* Dr. Nichols stated: “I’m out of my mind are you?” Jesus helped Dr. Nichols to lose his mind for the sake of the Gospel. When the Lord convicted Dave about being a Pharisee he had to be honest and admit that he was.
5. Paul noted that he had lost his religious mindset and but he was not insane. Instead he was “Born Again” on that Road and delivered by this divine epiphany experience.
As we look at Paul’s story we discover that he did have an outline or a pattern to telling his story. Hybel’s and Mittelberg reveal this outline in their best selling book Becoming a Contagious Christian..
They teach us how to share our stories to the seeker: Becoming a Contagious Christian has guidelines to follow as you share your story with others see pages 50-52 – In their Participants Guide workbook.
1. Before Christ – BC (Acts 26:4-11)
a. Where were you spiritually before receiving Christ, and how did that affect you-your feelings, attitudes, actions and relationships?
b. What caused you to begin considering God/Christ as a solution to your needs?
2. Conversion – The Cross (Acts 26:12-18)
a. What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?
b. Specifically, how did you receive Christ?
3. After Conversion – AD (Acts 26:19-23)
a. How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?
b. What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?
When you have shared your important story to and individual then ask them the following question “Can you relate to any of this?” They also note that Paul asked the question to all who were listening “Do you believe?” (Acts 26:27)
T.S. - Lets look at some spiritual principles from Paul’s testimony and note some things that we also should incorporate into our own personal stories:
I. We have to admit when we are wrong so we can find forgiveness!
a. To be a genuine authentic Christian means that we are non-defensive and humble enough to admit our errors and or mistakes.
i. Christians need to model humility and openness with others and quit pretending to be a “Super Saint.”
1. Humility is the ability to admit when we are wrong!
a. James 4:10 states, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
2. Quote:
a. “He that is down need fear no fall, He that is low, no pride, he that humble, ever shall, Have God to be his guide.” Bunyan
b. Our testimony is not just the day we first accepted Jesus Christ. That is the beginning of the testimony.
i. It’s that day we admit that we are sinners and repent and ask the Lord to forgive us and He faithfully does.
ii. But really our testimony is an ongoing story that is filled with chapter 1 the day of our conversion and then it progresses on to chapter 2, 3, 4 all the way to the final chapter – our life is like a book – Our testimony for Jesus is continually being written each and every day.
iii. Paul knew this – he told his story about the beginning and His divine revelation but he added this thought to the king. This experience changed my life – my direction- my belief system- my focus-my purpose in life-my mission-my perspective.
c. Our testimony is an ongoing story filled with fresh new chapters every year – we will have to remember to admit throughout our lives when we are wrong.
i. Repentance is not a one time event! It is to be the attitude of a Christian daily it is realizing that we are continually blowing it and we have to take responsibility for our actions – especially when they are sin filled and selfishly centered.
1. This type of attitude is what God blesses and uses for the Kingdom.
2. A prideful attitude will be humbled and it will not be used for the Kingdom
ii. They have to repent of those wrong actions, beliefs and life choices so that God can forgive them and help them to grow through the experience.
d. There are some within Christianity that have become just like the Pharisee’s.
i. Religious in their mindset and deceived in their thinking.
ii. They think they are serving God but instead they are in opposition to God and His kingdom.
iii. We need to be careful that we do not end up becoming Pharisaical.
T.S. - The Pharisee syndrome is one that refuses to admit that they are wrong even when the evidence is right in front of them. They deceive themselves into thinking that they are superior to others and even more holy. Instead we need to be genuine authentic Christians who sincerely love the Lord and cannot but help to share their stories with others.
II. We need to be genuine and sincere when we share our continuing life story with others.
a. Today people are looking for the genuine thing – not a religious façade but the genuine article.
i. They want something that is relevant and life transforming.
ii. Paul in front of the King revealed how he was transformed and he helped the King see that he was deceived by his former way of life.
iii. The King and Governor were always dealing with these religious self-righteous leaders of Israel so they related to what Paul was saying.
1. They were always complaining, being involved in riots and rebellion.
a. The religious leaders of Israel.
2. They were money hungry and self-centered.
a. The religious leaders of Israel.
3. They were prideful and arrogant.
a. The religious leaders of Israel.
4. They claimed to represent God but in reality they did not even know Him!
iv. The world is not looking for more self-righteous people – or people filled with pride and arrogance – they deal with enough of them in the world.
1. So when they come seeking the Lord to church they are looking for a person who is relevant and empathetic to their condition in life.
2. They want the genuine thing presented to them.
v. There is one major problem with not being genuine. It’s called deception. The truth is when we put on masks and pretend we are something we are not then we are deceiving others.
1. Scripture addresses this issue for us:
a. 2 Cor. 4:2, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God.”
b. You may be thinking “How do we become genuine articles for God?”
i. The first thing we must do is to take off the masks that we normally put on with others. You know which ones they are. The ones you have learned to put on for survival because the masks have made survival easier.
1. Swindoll states, “No matter how you really feel, regardless of the truth, if you become skilled at hiding behind your guard, you don’t have to hassle with all the things that come with full disclosure. You feel safe” (Dropping Your Guard, page 9).
ii. Lets recall some of the masks people put on and gleam some insights from Charles Swindoll’s book Dropping Your Guard:
1. “I’m Tough” – You don’t have to worry about admitting how weak and frightened you actually are.
a. You get mad and hope that will scare the people away or to influence them to do it your way!
2. “I’m Holy” – You project yourself as “Super Saint” and other people then wonder if you ever struggle with spirituality.
a. You have the halo over your head and you let everyone know it’s there!
b. You act like a Pharisee!
3. “I’m Cool” – I’ve got it all together mask comes in handy if you resist stuff like hard questions, vulnerable admissions, straight talk.
a. Your as cool as the Fonz from Happy Days:
i. But how cool was he?
1. He lived above a garage.
2. His office was in the bathroom of Arnolds.
4. “I’m a Rock” – I’m able to handle all this pain and pressure by myself. I don’t need anyone!
a. You act like stress does not affect you – yet inside it is eating you up!
5. “I’m Smart” – Intellectual and scholarly masks that protect you from having to face the practical realities of every day life.
a. You hide behind you fancy words and your books but you skirt reality.
b. Illustration (News Story): Fooled Soviet System
i. S.I. Gendlin easily impressed officials at the Russian Institute of Aviation Instruments. Tall, dark, and carrying a portfolio full of diplomas from scientific schools. He quietly informed that that he was the discoverer of the mysterious “Gendlin’s Effect.” The inventor also explained that he had not patented his discovery and therefore was not free to describe to the scientific world. The officials believed Gendlin and put him in charge of five specialists. He might still be considered a brilliant young scientist, if he had not taken an extra job at another scientific institute. Moonlighting is illegal in Russia, and the resulting investigation showed Gendlin to be a fraud and his diplomas clever fakeries. Izvestia, the Russian government newspaper, gave a neat comment: “For almost two years, he didn’t do any work. Consequently, he didn’t make any mistakes.”
c. The world of seekers wants relationships that are real and relevant.
i. People are looking for a authentic Christian experience:
1. Being the genuine article for Christ means we are authentic with one another no masks -- no facades.
a. Authenticity is defined as the sharing of self by relating in a natural, sincere, spontaneous, open and genuine manner.
b. To be authentic Christians as Paul was before these Kings and Governors means you relate to them as a real person.
c. You don’t stand before them and start quoting Scripture in King James, and changing the way you speak or act. You don’t try to be something you are not!
ii. They want relationships that stick through the thick and thin of life.
1. They are looking for an Acts New Testament church that shares its possessions and weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice.
a. Bottom line -- they want a church filled with people who care about them!
b. They want a friendly church which seeks to help them as they follow the Lord.
iii. They want a relationship with the Lord that changes their lives and changes others lives.
1. They are looking for an in fusion of hope – encouragement – peace – and love.
2. They are looking for a hand to hold their hand through the trials and tribulations of life.
3. They are looking others who will walk through the valley of that shadow of death with them.
4. They are looking for team mates who will work beside them in raising their kids in a hostile society.
d. Paul was so passionate about Jesus and his mission that the King recognized that Paul was not a trouble maker but a person who was genuinely touched by the Lord on the Damascus Road.
i. He saw the sincerity in Paul.
ii. It touched his heart.
iii. The King could see that this moment in time changed Paul – he could see the love he had for Jesus and for the lost people of this world.
1. Remember he had dealt extensively with the Pharisees and Sadducees and saw that they were flakes –frauds and heartless.
2. Paul was sharing this story from his heart and the King saw it and it moved him.
iv. He could see that Paul believed that the Lord could raise the dead.
1. After listening to Paul’s story he could see that Paul himself was raised from the dead. Once trapped in a religion that committed murder and could care less about people with problems.
2. He most likely thought “This man does not act like the religious leaders that I know!”
3. This man has a passion for the Lord and it drives his life.
T.S. – We need to make sure that we share our story and the story after that with those we come in contact with in our life. Our story is like an unfinished book that is still being written and people are reading and waiting expectantly for the final chapter to be penned. We also need to realize that not everyone will understand or appreciate our story.
III. We need to realize that some will get it and others will miss it.
a. The King was impacted by Paul’s story.
i. It moved him – his comment to Paul was clear in revealing this “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!”
1. That’s the voice of someone who has been impacted by what Paul had said!
ii. Festus thought Paul had lost his mind listen to his comment, “Paul, you’re crazy! You’ve read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!”
1. Festus did not get what Paul was saying – He didn’t feel what the King felt – he did not have a clue.
2. He was clueless to things of God.
3. He was the one who was insane not Paul.
a. But Paul addresses him with respect – lets him know that the King gets the intent of what he said!
b. Prayer is a key with those individuals who cannot understand a conversion story. For some to see Jesus and get a revelation of Him requires a lot of intercessory prayer for people who are like Festus. The truth is if they don’t get prayed for they will continue to walk in darkness. We need to learn to pray for those who are blind to the truth.
i. Do you know someone like this then get Kathy Hoverman to pray for them because prayers make a difference.
ii. But don’t give up on them instead – pray!
1. Do the P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens!
2. Cymbala states, “Too many times when we are under stress or opposition, we hold strategy sessions, we ‘claim the promises’ in rote sort of way instead of praying them biblically. But God said we could ‘receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.’ Where? At ‘the throne of grace’ (Hebrews 4:16).
3. Abraham Lincoln wrote, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
4. This is the attitude we need to have in the church today to see a determination to PUSH through in prayer and see lives transformed.
a. To work through the hardships of life and come out on the other end with a Jesus victory!
b. This will not happen if we don’t learn the spiritual discipline of prayer.
T.S. - This church needs to labor earnestly in prayer for our world and for our unsaved loved ones so we can be apart of a miracle. So make sure that you pick a day this up and coming 40 days of prayer and fasting so that we can see God do miracles here at New Life Community Church.
Conclusion:
The Word of God exhorts us to not be superficial or to pretend we are something we are not. God does not want us to be superficial with him, with others, or even with ourselves. David wrote, “Surely you desire truth in the in the inner parts; you teach wisdom in the innermost places” (Psalm 51:6). The Lord desires His followers to be like Paul a man who was the genuine article – the real deal – a Christian who continually told his story with a passion and a love for the Lord. He lived his story on a daily basis and all those around him could see that he was committed to the cause of Jesus Christ.
In Review Paul did three things in sharing his story that we need to apply to our own lives today:
1. He admitted to everyone even respected leaders how he had been wrong about Jesus and the Way.
a. Paul knew how to humble himself and how to admit when he was wrong all through his life – His testimony was his life and how he lived it and died for it.
b. Paul died to his self and therefore cleansed himself of the Pharisee disease which had kept him blinded for so long.
c. Paul knew how to say, “I was wrong!” “I sinned!” “I blew it!”
2. Paul was the genuine article for Christ and the King saw his sincerity and it touched him.
a. People are looking for the real deal today and we must be authentic Christians in our lives.
i. They can recognize a fraud very quickly!
ii. They can see through the masks that we try to wear to hide our true selves.
b. People want to meet the real God not some fraud or fake religious deity.
i. They want to be introduced to Him in a personal and intimate way!
c. People are looking for the genuine Acts New Testament Church which means it’s a church that loves one another, forgives one another, comforts one another, gives to one another, sacrifices for one another, and strives to be like Jesus daily with each other.
i. The Acts New Testament Church was filled with individuals who repeatedly told others their personal story.
3. We need to realize that some will be touched by our testimonies while others will think that we have lost our mind and our sanity.
a. Don’t take it personally instead pray for these people that they will see the light.
